Job Opportunities & Fellowships

Job Opportunities

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration NOS – Deputy Assistant Administrator

NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS) is aiming to complement its existing leadership by recruiting for a Deputy Assistant Administrator for Navigation, Observations and Positioning (DAA-NOP). The successful candidate will work directly for Assistant Administrator, Nicole LeBoeuf and side by side with the NOS DAA for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management, Paul Scholz. The DAA-NOP will have full responsibility for establishing, managing, and providing strategic direction for the Navigation, Observations, and Positioning program offices within NOS. Those offices are the U.S. IOOS Office, the Office of Coast Survey, the National Geodetic Survey, and the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services.

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service – Environmental Specialist

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is currently hiring an Environmental Protection Specialist, ZA-0028-3/4. The position is located within the Protected Area Policy Division in Silver Spring, Maryland and will support environmental compliance work across the National Marine Sanctuary System.

As an Environmental Protection Specialist, you will perform the following duties:

  • Identify the need for and coordinate the development and review of environmental analysis. Formulate plans and environmental analysis documentation to make decisions or recommendations, significantly changing, interpreting or expanding important National Ocean Service and Office of National Marine Sanctuaries policies and programs.
  • Oversee complete integration of environmental planning with program planning and execution.
  • Coordinate and engage with external federal agencies to effectively coordinate National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and consultation requirements across federal agencies.
  • Support Office of National Marine Sanctuaries compliance program development, management, coordination and implementation including developing and aligning policy; coordinating with program managers and field staff on environmental compliance requirements and efforts; identifying deficiencies or areas of non-compliance; and advising leadership on overall compliance efforts, best approach, program execution and areas of risk or non-compliance.
  • Formulate, execute and oversee compliance with environmental regulations conducted under the NEPA and all other applicable Federal environmental statutes, including the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Magnuson-Stevens Act, and National Historic Preservation Act.
  • Details (MAP)
  • Details (DE)

Gulf of Mexico Alliance – Program Coordinator

The Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA), as a non-profit organization, is a partnership of the five Gulf States and supported by a broader network of federal agencies, academic organizations, businesses, and other non-profits in the region. The mission of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance is to significantly increase regional collaboration to enhance the environmental and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico. (http://www.gulfofmexicoalliance.org/) The Program Coordinator supports the regional program duties of GOMA, specifically the needs of the Data & Monitoring Priority Issue Team (D&M Team), the Gulf Star Public-Private Partnership, and others. This is a telecommuting position and is not located in the GOMA headquarters office, but works with all GOMA staff and reports to the Program Director.

GOOS Biology – Data Manager

GOOS Biology seeks a data manager. The candidate will work under the supervision of the OBIS project manager and in close consultation with the OBIS data manager and the members of the Biology and Ecoystems expert panel of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS BioEco). The candidate will be (i) managing the information about observing systems, networks, and data assets provided via a portal for the Global Ocean Observing System, Biology and Ecosystems Panel (GOOS BioEco) for official launch by the end of 2021 and (ii) provide coordination with the observing systems, networks, and data-producing projects contributing to biological and ecosystem Essential Ocean Variable (EOV) with the aim to bring more of the data from these facilities fully online through OBIS, and become interoperable and reusable as part of an integrated global ocean observing system.

The University of Massachusetts Boston – Assistant Professor of Coastal Oceanography

The School for the Environment is seeking an outstanding individual at the Assistant Professor level in coastal physical oceanography, to begin September 1, 2023. The University’s location with the main campus on Boston Harbor and its field station on Nantucket makes it ideal for the study of coastal ocean processes. We seek a physical oceanographer who can interact with biological, chemical, geological, engineering, and planning colleagues to analyze and/or model the effects of storms, sea-level rise, and warming oceans on macrotidal Northeastern estuaries (developed and undeveloped) and coastal oceans. The Stone Living Lab is a natural laboratory comprised of Boston Harbor and its islands for the study of the role of nature-based solutions on reducing the risk of present and increased coastal flooding under present and future climates. Strong opportunities exist to work with the Stone Living Lab, the Mass Bays National Estuary Program, the Urban Harbors Institute, and the BEACON bluetech lab, all within the School for the Environment. The School for the Environment seeks a colleague who will leverage state-of-the-art laboratory and field-based facilities and our nationally recognized academic programs in the environmental and marine sciences, to advance coastal physical ocean science at the local and global level.

University of Miami (RSMAS) – Tenure Track Faculty

The Rosenstiel School and the Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) at the University of Miami are soliciting applications for tenured or tenure-track faculty positions in the Atmospheric Sciences and Ocean Sciences departments. Applications are sought from scientists who will leverage large data sets, statistical learning techniques, machine learning, and data science to advance knowledge about the oceans and/or atmosphere. These two positions are among five new opportunities across the Rosenstiel School’s five departments, aiming to infuse data science into research and instructional programs across the School. Successful applicants will join several other IDSC-enabled new faculty from across the University, leveraging their teaching-load reductions to help define the future of the Institute, even as their tenure portfolio resides squarely within the departments.   Candidates are expected to teach courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels, mentor students, and maintain an active research program. The successful candidate for a tenured faculty position should have a record of internationally recognized scholarly accomplishments, teaching experience, and a sustained externally funded research program, while successful applicants at the assistant or associate professor level must demonstrate potential to develop an externally funded research program of international reputation. Applicants are expected to demonstrate a commitment to excellence in teaching, mentorship, service and the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion. The candidates are expected to participate in collaborative and interdisciplinary research and to contribute to IDSC’s core mission of fostering inter-disciplinary and data-intensive research across the University of Miami.

Ocean Conservancy – Senior Policy Analyst, Renewable Energy

For more than 40 years, Ocean Conservancy has been championing science-based policy solutions to protect the healthy and diverse ocean ecosystems that support our planet. Through its programs, Ocean Conservancy provides leadership on the protection of special places, restoration of sustainable fisheries, the reduction of human impacts on ocean ecosystems, and the need for comprehensive management of our nation’s ocean resources and ecosystems. Informed by science, Ocean Conservancy’s work guides policy and engages people in protecting the ocean and its wildlife for future generations. Working with the Directors of Ocean Planning and Climate Policy Team, the Senior Policy Analyst advances the organization’s goal of accelerating the transition to clean energy by securing needed reforms to the federal government’s offshore wind policy. The Senior Policy Analyst also manages Ocean Conservancy’s work to support enabling conditions for responsible offshore wind and other renewable energy, including those related to financial incentives and disincentives, supply chain development, labor and workforce issues, and research and development.

USACE Jacksonville District, Engineering Division, Coastal Design Section – Civil Engineer

The US Army Corps of Engineers in the Engineering Division seeks a Civil Engineer at its Jacksonville, FL, location. Duties include:

  • Coastal Design: –Serves as a coastal hydraulic engineer in the Coastal Design Section, providing analyses of beach/inlet/estuarine coastal systems and developing engineering solutions for coastal storm risk management and navigation projects.
  • Applies coastal engineering principles, field data and numerical models to establish relevant coastal processes such as currents, waves, water levels and sediment transport in coastal environments that include beaches, inlets and estuaries.
  • Conducts field investigations and collects and compiles data for engineering analyses of coastal systems.
  • Details

Mote Marine Laboratory — Several Openings

Mote Marine Laboratory, a nonprofit marine research laboratory based in Sarasota, Florida, that also includes a public aquarium, has a positions open. Their current employment openings are listed below.

  • Staff Biologist, Coral Reef Monitoring and Assessment Program
  • Water Quality/Life Support Systems Technician
  • Position Details

Sistema de Observacion y Predicicion Costero de las Illes Balears – Software Engineer

In the framework of the EU Horizon Blue-Cloud2026 project, SOCIB is developing a data workflow aiming to produce added value products from ocean glider missions. The added value products will address scientific questions from coastal ocean observations along Europe. The workflow will be implemented within a ‘so called’ Virtual Lab included in the Blue-Cloud VRE (Virtual Research Environment). The workflow components will spread across all the added value chain and will include processing toolboxes, metadata management, standard data format generation and interactive visualizations. The applicant will also support the integration of the JERICO e-infraestructure within the BlueCloud system and will ensure the alignment of the above mentioned data workflow with such as integration when applicable. In addition, the purpose of the vacancy includes supporting SOCIB scientists, engineers and data managers to achieve the above mentioned objectives in the framework of both, the current SOCIB Strategic Plan 2021-2024, and the recently approved SOCIB Plan 2023-2026 and SOCIB 2023 Plan.

Postdoctoral Positions

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration RESTORE Program – Postdoctoral Associate

The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) at UCSB and NOAA RESTORE Science Program are partnering on a five-year initiative to synthesize data, science, and knowledge about the Gulf of Mexico to inform resource management and restoration efforts. As part of this initiative we will be supporting a growing community of post-docs and synthesis teams; we seek to fill an initial two postdoctoral positions that will work collaboratively with to-be selected synthesis science working groups to address critical, interdisciplinary, environmental questions in the Gulf of Mexico. These are two-year long positions with the potential for a third year and will be based at NCEAS in Santa Barbara, California. Research related to the Gulf of Mexico synthesis working groups (50% time) This postdoctoral researcher will participate in the work of one or more Gulf of Mexico synthesis working groups, as appropriate based on experience and interest. Independent research (50% of time) This postdoctoral researcher will be afforded significant time to pursue their own research interests, publish independent research in peer review journals, and attend scientific conferences.

The Rosenstiel School’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) (RSMAS)

The Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) of the University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science has an exciting opportunity for a Post-Doctoral Associate (two-year term) to work on-site in College Park, Maryland at the National Weather Service (NWS) National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP).  The position will support a hurricane intensity forecast improvements project coordinated by the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), the National Ocean Service (NOS) and the NWS, with a focus on upper ocean observations and model data assimilation.  An ocean observing field campaign is planned for the 2023 and 2024 Atlantic hurricane seasons using myriad observing platforms, and this position will directly support connecting those important ocean observations to the NOAA models to help NOAA improve its hurricane intensity forecasts.  Ultimately, this position will directly benefit coastal communities and help NOAA reduce risk and loss of life and property.

NOAA; National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences – Postdoctoral and Senior Associates

The National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research seeks a postdoctoral scientist in remote sensing photogrammetry of coastal and marine habitats using unoccupied autonomous systems. The program conducts research and syntheses to develop decision support tools, geospatial models, and data products to inform coastal ecosystem management. They use a suite of field sampling and remote-sensing tools, advanced underwater remote sensing and hydroacoustics technologies, underwater optics, autonomous underwater vehicles and scuba diving to design ecological assessments and experiments to understand impacts of stressors on coastal marine ecosystems. The primary focus for this opportunity will develop remote imaging techniques such as photogrammetry and structure-from-motion using airborne and underwater optics to develop high-resolution digital models for use in ecological research and modeling for the assessment of coral reef ecosystems and restoration.

NRC Research Associateship Programs Postdoctoral and Senior Research Awards

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine sponsors awards for postdoctoral and senior researchers at participating federal laboratories and affiliated institutions.  These awards include generous stipends ranging from $45,000 – $80,000 per year for recent Ph.D. recipients, and higher for additional experience.  Limited graduate level awards are also available. These awards provide the opportunity for recipients to do independent research in some of the best-equipped and staffed laboratories in the U.S. Research opportunities are open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and for some of the laboratories, foreign nationals.

Fellowships and Internships

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration – Coastal Management Fellowship

The NOAA Coastal Management Fellowship was established in 1996 to provide on-the-job education and training opportunities in coastal resource management and policy for postgraduate students and to provide project assistance to state coastal zone management programs. Up to nine fellows are placed with state coastal programs every year. The program matches postgraduate students to work on projects proposed by state coastal zone management programs and selected by NOAA. This two-year opportunity offers a competitive salary, medical benefits, and travel and relocation expense reimbursement. Placement for the Coastal Management Fellowship positions is fully integrated into the placement process with the Digital Coast Fellowship positions. Candidates apply to the Coastal Management and Digital Coast Fellowship program as a whole, and selected candidates will be eligible to interview with both the state coastal programs and the Digital Coast partnership organizations at the fellowship matching workshop.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine

The Gulf Research Program’s Early-Career Research Fellowship supports emerging scientific leaders as they take risks on research ideas not yet tested, pursue unique collaborations, and build a network of colleagues who share their interest in improving offshore energy system safety and the well-being of coastal communities and ecosystems. Because the early years of a researcher’s career are a critical time, the relatively unrestricted funds and mentoring this fellowship provides help recipients navigate this period with independence, flexibility, and a built-in support network. They will be opening the 2021 Early-Career Research Fellowship Application Cycle with significant changes to the fellowship program structure by introducing a three-topic track system with application periods spread out over the year. The three tracks, aligned with the Gulf Research Program’s program areas, are:

      • Human Health and Community Resilience
      • Environmental Protection and Stewardship
      • Offshore Energy Safety
      • Details

Department of Defense – Visualization of Coastal Data

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Coastal & Hydraulics Laboratory (CHL) performs research on ocean, estuarine, riverine, and watershed systems in support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Department of Defense (DOD) Task Force in support of the Ocean Commission. A multi-disciplinary team of scientists, engineers, and support personnel work in CHL’s internationally known, unique facilities. This team has developed state-of-the-art experimental and computational models for solving water resource problems worldwide. Physical facilities of approximately 1.7 million square feet and high-performance computing facilities at the DOD Supercomputing Research Center (http://www.erdc.hpc.mil) are the basic infrastructure for producing cutting-edge products for successful coastal, inland water resources, and navigation management. CHL work, although primarily in support of the DOD and the Corp’s districts, also interfaces with other federal, state and local agencies, academia, conservation groups, and the general public, as appropriate. The Research Participation Program for USACE-ERDC-CHL provides opportunities to participate in new and on-going applied research and development projects. Research projects range from design guidance to three-dimensional computational models. Focus is placed on inland and coastal navigation, military logistics over the shore, dredging, flood control, storm and erosion protection, waterway restoration, fish passage, hydro-environmental modeling, water/land management, and other water and sediment-related issues facing the nation.

Department of Defense – Coastal Vulnerability Assessment Fellow

The Environmental Laboratory (EL) is one of the seven laboratories of U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (USACE-ERDC), which is the Army Corps of Engineers’ integrated research and development (R&D) organization. EL provides solutions to environmental challenges for the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense and the Nation through environmental science and engineering research and development. Researchers in EL conduct research in ecosystem science and technology, environmental resiliency, environmental sensing, ecological modeling and forecasting, risk and decision science, environmentally sustainable material, systems biology, climate change, computational chemistry, environmental chemistry and environmental security. Under the guidance of a mentor, you will participate in a coastal research project focused on developing stochastic assessments of coastal water levels and erosion risk under past, present and future climates.